isn't that ironic

I know one of the largest black market issues in America is CD and DVD "bootleg" copies. If I'm not mistaken you do just as much jail time for selling certain drugs. So can someone explain to me why I can buy every Disney movie ever made for 40 dollars...maybe 35 if I have good bargaining skills. I just find it amusing that some things are swept under the rug so to speak yet other things are blown way out of proportion. Alright, now you know the secret don't all bombard me @ once for DVDs. I've att. a pic of the elusive camel spider for your viewing pleasure. Just a quick story about another encounter i had with one back in 04', I was just standing in a wadi (a small valley, good for hiding your position) and one of my buddies pointed at something behind me, you the look someone gives you when your not sure if you should turn around or not but curiosity always gets the best of you, yeah.. that look. As I turn to acquire my target I see the little devil moving with my shadow, every time I move, it moves, so with out giving away our position I of course start running back and forth. Needless to say it never missed a beat. creepy to say the least! For the last couple of days the AC unit from 1985 has not been working (I wonder why) so we have to sleep on our sides because if we sleep on our backs sweat pools up in our eye sockets, so when we wake up our eyes are on fire! I don't know if anyone knew this but most Iraqi's sleep on their roofs, when they build their homes they put a small stairway leading to the roof. The roof keeps them about 15 to 20 degrees cooler at night. well I love you all, and to my precious wife stay positive and know I miss you more than words can describe. Until next time.

could be a TV show

I am totally sold on the idea of MTV or VH1 making a reality TV show on the trials and tribulations of the everyday soldier. Now I know what your thinking, the government would never allow the public to really see what a normal day is like for me, both here and back in the states. But on the flip side of that i guarantee it would solve the enlistment problem within 6 months! Even if i begin to tell you some of the everyday occurrences here you would either not believe it or would say "well, i guess you had to be there". If laughter really is the best medicine I'm going to live forever!! That is unless i get bitten by a camel spider, when God made this creature he had to be mad at someone. I would rather run naked through a corn field backwards than mess with one. Go figure, I have no problem with going to war, but the thought of that "thing" near me makes me want to shoot it. Another luxury we go without is a laundry room, we are able to drop it off to be picked up and washed and then brought back in a matter of days. So of course the wheels are a spinnin' I'm going to attempt to put the most random items in my laundry and see if they come back. Oh, the things that amuse us here. Well I'm getting sleepy so i bid you adue, so "until next time stay classy America"

twilight zone

I haven't been to half the places I want to go, or experienced things I've been told stories
about, but what I have done is play volleyball with Iraqi’s. If I have to put a number on it
I would say it ranks right up there with seeing the pope or walking the great wall of China.
I'm beginning to get into my "twilight zone" here (which is a good thing), where you slowly
let go of your grip on the outside world, your habits and comfort items. Last time it took
much longer and for some it never leaves the thought process of everyday life here. Now don't
think that means I cut ties with all friends and family, in fact it couldn't be farther from
that, it allows me a chance to except my surroundings and come to peace with my position for
the time being. I think the one thing that gets under my skin right now would have to be the
fact we want to improve the lifestyle and wellbeing more than the people here, and that's not
everyone but enough to put a ripple in things; You know, One bad apple.. I think the "black &
white question that no one wants to propose is, Can you fight guerrilla warfare with conventional
techniques? And the answer is yes... if you want to loose countless lives of American soldiers
and spend years possibly decades in a country that knows nothing but bloodshed and oppression.
War is not a normal day at the office no matter how much you think it is and you cant put a
suit and a new pair of shoes on it to fool the American public. I think I'm just tired of
losing brothers and sisters in arms, and all because were bringing knives to a gunfight. I
love my country, and I will do what is asked of me until I haven’t a breath left in my lungs
because that is what makes our country great. And if you ask me it's the only thing that holds
it together.

old memories

I have finally arived at my "home" for the next ??? months, so it's time to hit the ground and make some contacts. Many people believe that and infantry man has one skill and one skill only to offer the "outside world" but I have to disagree, you see I unlike many in the military have to scrounge for what I need whether it be a bike to travel from place to place on the fob, or making a friend in the construction yard in case I need a table or chairs. I think the point I'm trying to make is I will sell a ketchup popcicle to a woman in white gloves every day of the week just to keep my men supplied and happy, and truth be told after a while it's not work any longer, it's a hobby. I was walking to drop off my laundry today (which is give or take 2 miles) a it hit me... I was here in the first deployment, and things started to piece themselves together, not much has changed though. I want to describe the smell of certain things but I'm not sure it's possible, maybe Brad can explain it, he can recall the scent... I promise!! But I'm finally settling in and things are falling into routine so now I can start thinking of other issues to write about. I hope all is well and this finds you in good spirits...yeah some spirits sound good .